


Family

by Burgie



Series: Katja Joins Team Good AU [30]
Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 13:48:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7847509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mandy gets Loretta into trouble.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family

Mandy had never met anyone quite so unlikeable as this Loretta chick. She frowned and had to resist the urge to snap and snarl as the girl insulted her.

“And keep away from Justin, he’s mine,” said Loretta, a steely glare in her eyes.

“Ew. Why would I want him? We’re like cousins or something. His dad is my cousin,” said Mandy. 

“Oh? Well, you look nothing like him,” said Loretta. “I didn’t know that Aaron had children.”

“I’m… who’s Aaron?” asked Mandy. She was, admittedly, a little lacking in information about her cousin’s family. She only knew the basics: that Thomas ran Moorland stables with his son, Justin, and that he was the son of the Baroness of Silverglade and Mr Sands.

“So you’re not his daughter? But Thomas doesn’t have any other relatives,” said Loretta. “Trust me, I should know: I had the Bobcats do a lot of research into the Moorland family.”

“Not that much research,” Mandy muttered under her breath, and hid a grin behind her hand. If Loretta knew the truth about Justin’s family, she’d know too much. The Baroness and Mr Sands had been very careful to hide any evidence linking them to magic or Garnok, though for entirely different reasons.

“So then who’s kid are you?” asked Loretta.

“Thomas’ half-sister is my mum,” said Mandy. “You wouldn’t have found out anything about her, the Silverglades have destroyed most of the evidence linking the Baroness to his father.”

“But why?” asked Loretta. “I couldn’t find anything about her husband, either. And when we asked, the Baroness shooed us away. Like we were stable trash, like you.” Mandy grit her teeth behind her lips.

“Thomas’ father is Mr Sands,” said Mandy, deciding to punish this girl. Dark Core would probably just wipe her memory and leave her stranded somewhere on the shore. If she was lucky. “He owns Dark Core, which as you know is a very disreputable company, and the Baroness didn’t want anyone to know that she’d ever been involved with him.”

“Ooh, so then I’ll be marrying into money,” said Loretta, looking thoughtful. Mandy sighed and rode off to do something else.

Not long after Justin went off to Dark Core with Sabine, Tan found Mandy up at Nilmer’s Highland fiddling with a rusted piece of machinery.

“Mandy! At least I’ve been able to find someone,” said Tan.

“Hmm?” Mandy looked up from the rusty old engine, pushing her hair out of her eyes and leaving rust-red in her blonde hair.

“Loretta’s missing again,” said Tan, beginning to pace. “I got up this morning to do her stable chores like she wanted, and when I went to tell her that I was finished, I couldn’t find her!”

“Did she leave a note or anything?” asked Mandy. “Maybe she’s just gone out for a ride or something.”

“For half the day?” asked Tan, gesturing outwards at the clear blue sky with the sun high in it. Oh, it was that late.

“Hmm. Well, where would she go? Did she say anything to you before?” asked Mandy, standing up and wiping her hands on her pants.

“No,” said Tan, raking her fingers through her already-messy hair. Her ponytail was only just holding in there. “It’s not like her to just disappear like this, Mandy!” She looked at her with teary eyes.

“Okay, just calm down,” said Mandy, taking Tan’s hands in her own. “Just breathe, girl. And think. Where would Loretta go?” She hummed, trying to remember the calming song that her mother had once taught her. Tan took a few deep breaths and sniffled, then wiped her eyes.

“I heard her talking about Justin last night,” said Tan, still sniffing. “He went away a few days ago, remember?”

“Yes,” said Mandy, nodding. “And what else? What was she saying about Justin?”

“She said that she misses him and was wondering where he went,” said Tan. She sniffled again. “And, um, something about Dark Core I think? I wasn’t really listening because she’s always going on about Justin and now I wish that I was.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” said Mandy, patting her on the back. “It’s not your fault.”

“But I should’ve listened!” Tan wailed.

“Shh.” Mandy kept patting her on the back, holding the sobbing girl in her arms. “I’ll go find her for you.”

“Oh, thank you!” said Tan, pulling away to beam at her. “I owe you so much for this. I’ll do your stable chores for the next year if you find her.”

Mandy rode down to the beach after putting away the machine and her tools. She really didn’t care one way or the other what happened to Loretta, but her mama would probably want her to help the girl.

“Hey guys,” said Mandy, using the lingering traces of dark magic that had passed on from her mother to gain their attention. “I’m looking for a girl. Blonde hair, blue eyes, was probably wearing pink. Kind of a bitch.”

“We picked up a girl like that early this morning,” said the boss of that work site. “She was very rude to us, so we knocked her out and locked her in a container.”

“Why?” asked Mandy. 

“Because she was very rude,” said another goon. Mandy groaned, rolling her eyes.

“Let her out now,” said Mandy. 

“Uhh, yeah, we can’t do that,” said the boss, tapping his fingers together. Mandy sighed.

“Why?” asked Mandy, though she already suspected the answer.

“Because, uh… that container was put on a barge and went out to the headquarters,” said the boss.

“Oh, ocean take you,” Mandy cursed, and turned her horse to head back to the stables. Her grandfather employed incompetent buffoons, but at least they didn’t ask questions or anything. She’d just have to call her grandfather, and in the meantime hope that he didn’t do anything to that girl. Loretta was human, so she couldn’t become a Dark Rider. And there was no other use for her there, unless Justin wanted a friend. Which, she supposed, was likely. At the very least, Mandy hoped that Loretta had gotten a scare. And that her mama would never find out about her misbehaviour. Although, she knew, both of her parents would no doubt find the whole thing amusing.


End file.
